Key holder



Sept. 20, 1949.

E. R. LOEW KEY HOLDER Filed April 50, 1947 INVENTQR fizz/077E Lazw ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 20, 1949 if .i

. STATE *PA E T O v KEY noLoER Elliott a. Loew, J maica, N .,Y. Application April 30, 1947; s riaiNoz'v gsie My invention. relates generally to .key supports, that is, devices. for keeping in a group a plurality .of rings. In particular, my. invention. relates. to devices forasupporting in-a group aplurality of keysor other articles of: similar character, any one or more of which. maybe .easily.=.and quickly separated, from the others in the group. In one type of conventional key holder, it is possible to remove a single. key therefrom, as by detaching same from its mount. However, these devices are mechanical complications and. necessitate ahigh degree of dexterity in order'to detach a single desired key therefrom when any onekey is engaged in a lock. Other key rings of conventional type assemble a number of keyson a single split ringer other holder. When; using key-rings of this type, 'as-for instance when driving a car, and it becomes. necessary toperforrnw anothe keycontrolled-operation, as opening the car trunk, gas tank lock, garage doors,etc., it is necessary to remove the entire batch-from the cars ignition lock (where it must be during operation of the m'otor vehiele),

The main object ofmy invention, therefore, is the provision of a support for a number of keys which comprises a plurality of releasably securedtogether key holder units, each of which units may be easily and quickly separated from the rest thereof.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a support for a number of keys which comprises a plurality of releasably secured-together key holder units, means to nestably and removably secure said units together in a group whereby any one or more thereof may be readily removed from the group.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a support for a multiplicity of keys which comprise a plurality of looped members with means in the bights of each loop to support a key thereon.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a support for a plurality of keys comprising a number of individual retainer members, each of which retainers is formed of a piece of material bent on itself and secured together by a snap fastener element, whereby a plurality of retainers may be releasably secured together.

Still other and further objects of my invention will in part be obvious and still others in part pointed out specifically in connection with the following description of illustrative embodiments thereof. 2

In the drawings annexed hereto, and forming a part hereof,

' SClaims. (onto-40) :Figure'l isanedge elevational view of one form ore-device constructed according to and embodying my invention;

. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig.- 3=is an enlarged vertical section through the. device shown .inFigure 1;.

Fig-.4 is: a similarly enlarged vertical section;

of'a modified form of device also constructed. ac.-

cording toand embodyingmy-invention; and

.Fig. 5 isan enlarged vertical section of another modification of the present invention.

The form of invention. illustrated in liigs.v 1 to. 3

inclusive-comprises .a. plurality of unitsas l0, [0%.

Tworsuch units are, shown, but within the scope of my invention, three and even more units may foe-employed, as seen in Fig. 5. Each unit comprises a lengthzofsuitable material as. leather, plastic, imitation leather or heavy fabric; material or the like, suitably shaped as desired, forming twov end'tabs' 11-2, M of. whichonetab. I2 is longer than-the other; .Tabs, 12, Mare; shown. as circular-in-plan, althoughthey may be of rec-- tangular or any othershape; as desired.=

Thepreferably. integral. connecting strip [6. between, the endtabs I2, l4zisof reducedwidth, and. when the tabs l2, [4 are brought flatly together, the intermediate connecting strip I8 forms the bight of the loop defined thereby. The tabs of holder unit In are secured together as by means of a rivet I8, having a head cap 20 on one side thereof, and an inwardly channeled opening 22 on the other side. A split spring-ring 24 is provided and trapped within channeled opening 22 for reasons and purposes to be developed below, the opening '22 and ring 24 forming the female component of a snap fastener. As part of each holder or retainer unit of my invention, I provide a key attaching member, as ring 26, which may be a single loop as shown, of coiled ring type, onto which a key K or M may be threaded. Rings 26 are disposed within the bights l6, l6 either prior to the riveting together of the end tabs or after the tabs are riveted together.

The tabs of the other unit Illa, making up the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3, are secured flatly together by a rivet 30, one side of which has an outwardly flared head portion 32, of such size as to be force fittable into the opening 22 of the rivet l8 of unit I0, by the initial expansion of spring ring 24 and the subsequent contraction thereof about the reduced thickness-neck portion 36 of head 32. Of course, when it is desired to separate unit in from unit Illa, the longer tab [2 of the latter unit may be grasped and pulled, and head 32 thereby released from the spring grip of ring 24 and the holder units thus released.

In the form of invention illustrated in Fig. 4, three holder units 52, 54, 56 are provided. In each of these units, one of the tabs 50 is or substantially greater length than the other tab 5|. The tabs of the two end holders 5'2, 56 are fastened together by rivets 60, 60 the outer sides 62, 62 of which are ordinary caps. The inner sides of these fastening rivets 62, 62 are formed into outwardly flaring heads 64, 64, defining the male components of a snap fastener arrangement. The tabs of the middle or center holder 54 are secured together by a rivet 66, both sides of which comprise the female component of snap fastener arrangements. As seen in Fig. 4, both sides of rivet 66 have inwardly channeled portions 68, 68 in each of which a split spring ring 10, 10 is trapped. The head portions 64, 64 are force pressed into the openings in rivet 66 against the normal tensioning of springs 10, HL'which then contract about the reduced thickness neck portion of heads 64, 64 to releasably secure same together.

Within the scope of my invention, each rivet, as I8, 60, etc. maybe so formed as to have a male snap fastener component 10 on one side and a female component 12 on the other side,

so that any number of holder units may be releasably snap-fastened together into a single group as shown in Fig. 5. It will be obvious that any one unit may be readily, simply and easily removed from the group, and the rest of the holders held together by these snap-fastener arrangements. In the form shown in Fig. 1, for instance, the outer side 3! of rivet 30 may be provided with a channel-split ring arrangement as 68, 10, this being so obvious as to necessitate no separate illustration.

Having described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A holder for a plurality of keys comprising a pluralit of lengths of material each of which is folded transversely on itself to form a loop, key supporting means trapped within each 4 of the loops, the loops each being permanently closed by a rivet, both sides of which rivet consist of snap-fastener components adapted to be releasably engaged by a complementary snapfastener component on an adjacent length.

2. A holder for a plurality of keys comprising a plurality of lengths of material, each of which lengths is folded transversely on itself to form a loop, key supporting means trapped within each of the loops, the loops each being permanently closed by a rivet, both sides of the rivet, closing an interiorally disposed length, consisting of snap fastener components adapted to be releasably engaged by a complementary snap fastener component of a rivet closing the adjacently disposed lengths.

3. A holder for a plurality of keys comprising three lengths of material, each of which lengths is folded transversely on itself to form a loop, key supporting means trapped within each loop, the loops each being permanently closed by a rivet, the inner length being secured by a rivet having snap-fastener components on both sides thereof, and the two outer lengths each having a cooperating snap fastener component on the side thereof facing the inner length.

ELLIOTT R. LOEW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 1,139,370 Putnam May 11, 1915 1,414,798 Welcker May 2, 1922 1,821,585 Smith Sept. 1, 1931 1,857,336 Sherwood May 10, 1932 2,066,526 Gladstone Jan. 5, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 266,740 Italy Aug. 9, 1929 419,005 Great Britain Nov. 5, 1934 

